Skills Australia will discuss relocation strategies and skills shortages in regional Australia
May 13, 2010
Skills Australia has recently published Australian Workforce Futures – A National Workforce Development Strategy, which estimates that there will be 9.3 million job openings in Australia over the next 15 years. Skills Australia’s vision is for a strategy through which:
Australia has the workforce capability required for a productive, sustainable and inclusive future. Australian enterprises have the capacity to develop and use the skills of their workforce to maximum advantage for industry and community benefit.
The Global Financial Crisis has had a significant impact on employment opportunities in regional Australia but there are already significant skills shortages in some regional areas. Regional industry must be able to operate at full capacity to achieve Australia’s full economic potential during the recovery.
The Committee has been asked by the Federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations to inquire into and report on the applicability of government employment policies to address the skills shortages in regional Australia focusing on opportunities to support the relocation of unemployed workers from areas of high unemployment to areas experiencing skills shortages.
“The House Employment Committee is considering ways to improve government relocation policies to ensure workers are aware of, and able to benefit from, employment opportunities in regional areas.” Ms Jackson said.
“Previous attempts to address skills shortages through the relocation of workers has met with limited success, therefore the Committee is keen to gain an insight into Skills Australia’s view on how relocation programs can play a role in meeting the needs of Australia’ future workforce requirements.”
Skills Australia will appear before the Committee at a public hearing on Thursday 13 May 2010, at 11.15am in Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House Canberra. This hearing will be webcast live (audio only) on http://webcast.aph.gov.au/livebroadcasting/
Interested persons and organisations are invited to make written submissions to the inquiry as the committee will be holding a series of public hearings.
Further details on the inquiry, including the terms of reference, background documents, membership of the Committee and advice on making submissions can be obtained on the Committee’s website at http://www.aph.gov.au/ewr or by contacting the committee secretariat on (02) 6277 4162 or emailing ewr.reps@aph.gov.au.
For media comment, please contact the Committee Chair, Sharryn Jackson, on
(02) 6277 4044
For background information, contact the Committee Secretary, on (02) 6277 4162
Issued by:
Andrew Dawson, media manager, Liaison & Projects Office, House of Representatives
Tel: (02) 6277 2063 wk, 0401 143 724 mob.
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